Closure remover with pivoted gripping jaws



Jan. 13, 1953 w. M. PETTY CLOSURE REMOVER WITH PIVOTED GRIPPING JAWS Filed Dec. 10, 1945 WILLIAM M. PETTY IN V EN TOR.

ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 13, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLOSURE REMOVER WITH PIVOTED GRIPPING JAWS 2 Claims.

My invention relates to devices for removin lids and caps from jars, bottles and the like, and particularly to hand tools for removing such lids and caps.

It is an object of my invention to provide a hand tool for removing jar lids including an improved lip gripping arrangement.

It is another object of my invention to provide an improved hand tool for removing both screw type jar lids and crimped bottle caps.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds and the features of novelty which characterize my invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims appended to and forming a part of this specification.

For a better understanding of m invention reference may be had to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of lid removing tool employing my invention shown in position for gripping a jar lid;

Fig. 2 is a section of the jaws of the tool taken substantially along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the tool of Fig. 1 with portions broken away and in a position for removing a crimped bottle cap; and

Fig. 4 is a side view of the jaws of the tool on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Referring now to the drawing, the tool as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 comprises a pair of jaws l and 2, each having one end pivotally mounted in a guard plate 3 and arranged to be actuated by a pair of handles 4 and 5. The jaws l and 2 are mounted on spaced pivots 6 and 1, respectively, in the plate 3, and the handles 4 and 5 are mounted on spaced pivots 8 and 9, respectively, on the other side of the plate 3 from the pivots 6 and 1. The ends of the jaws and of the handles project beyond their respective pivots and are arranged for driving engagement between each handle and the corresponding jaw. To provide this interengagernent of the handles and jaws, the handles 4 and 5 are provided with projections IE) and H which fit into recesses l2 and I3 in the ends of the jaws I and 2, respectively. It is thus apparent that when the handles are moved about their pivots 8 and 9 they will drive the jaws about their pivots 6 and I.

The handles are mounted to close the jaws when the handles are pressed together, and a spring [4 is secured to the plate 3 about a pivot l5 and has its ends engaging the handles to urge them apart and thus bias the jaws to their open posiparts.

tion. The plate 3 is in the form of a hollow open-ended box and protects the driving connection and acts as a guard to prevent external objects from being caught between the moving Because the jaws l and 2 are mounted on spaced pivots they may move toward and away from one another in a common plane and thus may grip a lid at the same height on both sides without introducing any transverse twisting movement or torque.

Each of the jaws I and 2 is provided with serrations or teeth which minimize slipping of the jaws when they are in engagement with a lid to be turned. The teeth on the jaw l as indicated at I 6 are pointed in directions to prevent slipping when the jaws are turned in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1; and in a similar manner the teeth I! of the jaw 2 prevent slipping on counter-clockwise turning of the jaws.

It is desirable to grip jar lids of the screw type as near their tops as practicable and thereby avoid squeezing in and deformation of the lid which might make removal more difficult. To insure a good grippin engagement and to enable the operator to place the jaws in position near the top of the lid and without difficulty, the jaws are provided with lugs l8 and I9 intermediate their ends. These lugs are ofiset from the plane of the jaws by a distance which determines the limit of the position of the jaws on the lid; this is clearly shown in Fig. 2. The lugs may be welded to the jaws or may be secured thereto in any other suitable manner. The jaws may be placed about a lid to be removed, for example, and the tool held so that both the lugs engage the top of the lid; when the handles are pressed together the jaws will grip the lid near its top and hold it firmly while the tool is turned to loosen the lid.

The lugs l8 and I9 also provide a stop or prying member for removing bottle caps which must be pried loose. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the lugs may be placed under the rim of a crimped bottle cap and the jaws pressed together until a they engage the sides of the cap; then, by rotating the tool, the lugs may be forced upwardly so that the cap is pried loose and removed from the bottle. The tool has the advantage of holding the removed cap in its jaw so that it is not necessary to pick up the cap after removal.

' The jaws l8 and 19 are also provided with teeth which are useful when it is desired to remove small lids or caps of the screw type. Such caps may be removed by placing the jaws about the cap with both the jaws and the edges of the 3 lugs l8 and I9 engaging the sides of the cap. A good gripping engagement with the cap is thereby provided in much the same manner as with a pair of pliers but with the added engagement with the lugs, so that the cap is engaged by teeth in three or more spaced positions about its periphery. Such caps may be held in the jaws either above or below the lugs l8 and I9.

From the foregoing it is apparent that I have provided a simple tool of rugged construction which can be employed effectively to remove jar lids, bottle caps, and similar covers of a wide range of sizes and whether they are of the screw type or pry-off type.

While I have described a specific embodiment of my invention, other applications will occur to those skilled in the art. I do not, therefore, desire my invention to be limited to the specific construction illustrated and described, and I intend by the appended claims to cover all embodiments within the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A tool for removing lids from jars, bottles and the like comprising a pair of longitudinally curved opposed jaws pivoted adjacent their inner ends and movable in a common plane toward and away from each other, the outer portion of said jaws having concave inner surfaces provided with contiguous gripping serrations, said surfaces being formed on a radius of curvature substantially greater than the radius of curvature of the largest size jar lid, the length of said concave surfaces of said jaws being less than twice said radius of curvature, handles operatively connected with the inner ends of said jaws, and opposed inwardly extending lugs located on the outer portion of said jaws, said lugs having serrations on their opposite lateral edges adapted to cooperate with the serrations on said concave inner surfaces for gripping very small lids on bottles.

2. A tool for removing lids from jars, bottles and the like comprising a plate, a pair of longitudinally curved opposed jaws separately pivoted adjacent their inner ends on said plate and movable in a common plane toward and away from each other, the outer portion of said jaws having concave inner surfaces provided with contiguous gripping serrations, said surfaces being formed on a radius of curvature substantial- 1y greater than the radius of curvature of the largest size jar lid, the length of said concave surfaces of said jaws being less than twice said radius of curvature, handles operatively connected with the inner ends of said jaws and being separately pivoted on said plate, and cam means on the ends of said jaws and on the adjacent ends of said handles adapted to move said jaws toward and away from each other on manual operation of said handles.

WILLIAM M. PE'ITY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 763,352 Barton June 28, 1904 896,118 Kellemen Aug. 18, 1908 1,366,871 Calkins Jan. 25, 1921 1,429,452 Phillips Sept. 19, 1922 1,661,333 Gurnett Mar. 6, 1928 1,942,918 Disch Jan. 9, 1934 2,031,420 Lebherz Feb. 18, 1936 2,430,638 Hofiman Nov. 11, 1947 

